Ballistic device comprising a projectile and its launcher

ABSTRACT

A ballistic device comprises a projectile and a launcher therefor, the projectile having a tube at its rear end in which is disposed a combustion chamber containing a propulsive charge. The charge is compressed on its forward side by a piston that bears against a forwardly extending rod which at its forward end transmits the propulsive force to the projectile. The charge is electrically fired, and the electrical connections are housed in part in the combustion chamber.

United States Patent Inventor Robert Bornand Meyrin, Switzerland Appl. No. 815,340

Filed Apr. 11, 1969 Patented Mar. 16, 1971 Assignee Transurvey Holding Company Inc.

Societad Anonima, Panama Priority Apr. 11, 1968 Switzerland 5704/68 BALLISTIC DEVICE COMPRISING A PROJECTILE AND ITS LAUNCHER 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl. 89/1, 42/], 102/652 Int. Cl F41f 1/06 Field ofSearch 89/1, 1.3;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,068,755 12/1962 .lohnstone 89/l(.3) 3,134,330 5/1964 Batou 89/1(.3) 3,306,163 2/1967 Griessen.... 89/1(.3) 3,416,402 12/1968' Griessen 89/1 (.3)

Primary Examiner-Samuel W. Engle Attorney-Young & Thompson ABSTRACT: A ballistic device comprises a projectile and a launcher therefor, the projectile having a tube at its rear end in which is disposed a combustion chamber containing a propulsive charge. The charge is compressed on its forward side by a piston that bears against a forwardly extending rod which at its forward end transmits the propulsive force to the projectile. The charge is electrically fired, and the electrical connections are housed in part in the combustion chamber.

Patented March 16, 1971 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented March 16, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 BALLHSTIC DEVIQE COMPRISING A PROJECTILE AND ITS LAUNCHER The present invention relates to a ballistic device comprising a projectile and its launcher, the projectile comprising a rearwardly extending tube which is radially indeformable under the pressure developed during burning of a launching charge and which contains a combustion chamber in which the charge is disposed. The charge is compressed on its forward side by a piston that bears against a forwardly extending rod that transmits the propulsive force to the projectile. The ignition-means is electrical in nature and is disposed at least in part in the combustion chamber and is actuated from the launcher externally of the projectile.

The attached drawings show, by way of example, one embodiment of a device according to the invention, in which the projectile is in the form of a grenade.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view partially in axial section, in the region in which the projectile joins the launcher, with the parts in the position they occupy immediately before firing;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. and on about the same scale, but of the lower portion of the launcher;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view on a reduced scale, of the launcher and projectile in the position they occupy im mediately before firing; and I FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale, of a fragment of FIG. 2, showing the-parts that are manipulated by the operator to launch the projectile.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the illustrated ballistic device comprises a projectile in the form of a grenade having a head 1 which is screwed on the forward end of a tubular body 2, which may for example be composed of a light metal alloy, and on the rear end of which are secured fins 3. The grenade is supported for launching at the forward or upper end of a tubular launcher generally designated A. This launcher comprises a tube 4 (for example of aluminum alloy), inclined at the desired angle and having at its lower end a foot 5 provided with an anchor pin 6 which will dig into the ground. The launcher A also comprises a telescopic leg 7 provided with an anchor point 8, pivotally secured to a collar fixed to the forward end of tube 4. The launcher can also be provided with a sighting device.

The propulsion part of the assembly is indicated generally at B and is best seen in FIG. 1. It includes a guide rod 10 fixed to the launcher A, and'a combustion chamber slidably force fitted in tubular body 2. The device of the present invention is completed by electrical means for igniting the propulsive charge contained in the combustion chamber, and a firing mechanism indicated generally at C (FIGS. 2 and 4).

Referring now in greater detail to FIG. 1, the combustion chamber comprises a steel tube 11 in the form of a cup whose bottom is disposed to the rear and in which is disposed an explosive charge 12 compressed or packed by a piston 13 of hard bronze which is force fitted in tube 11 on the forward side of charge 12. A steel push rod 14 bears against the forward face of piston 13 and extends slidably through a screwthreaded sleeve 15 in the forward end of tube 11. Push rod 14 is secured to the grenade at the forward end of rod 14, where it is received in a steel mounting 16. which is secured in the forward closed end of tube 2. Thus, the propulsive force of the exploding charge 12 pushes the piston 13 forwardly in tube 11, which in turn transmits forward motion to the grenade through rod 14 to launch the grenade.

A steel capsule 18 is disposed in a steel retaining ring 19 force fitted in the bottom of the tube 11 and contains a powdered primer and a metallic filament (not shown) which glows incandescent upon electrical resistance heating. The path of electrical conduction from the tail 18 to the capsule 18 must accordingly pass through the primer in capsule 18, thereby igniting it by electric resistance heating. The tail 18' of the capsuie 18 is partially surrounded by an insulating ring 20 and carries at its end a brass contact 21.

The guide rod 10 at its forward end is slidably disposed in the rear end of the tubular portion 2 and at its rear end is screw-threadedly received in a threaded sleeve 22 disposed in tube 4 of the launcher A. The rod 10 is axially bored and is lined with insulating sleeves 23 and 23 which surround a conductive rod 24, which may for example be brass, whose forward end is in contact with the contact 21 of the primer capsule 18. The conductive rod 24 is threaded at its rear end in a brass lug 25 which forms the forward end of a contact rod 26 disposed in an insulating sleeve 27 which lines the central bore of an aluminum sleeve 28 -force fitted in tube 4 of the launcher. An enlarged rear end of the sleeve 28 is lined with an insulating sleeve 29 in which is disposed a brass contact pin 30 containing a small coil-compression spring 31 that acts between the bottom of the hollow pin 30 and the rear end of the contact rod,26 so as always to maintain the forward end of the conductive rod 24in contact with the contact 21. The contact pin 30 ,and the insulating sleeve 29 are maintained in place in sleeve 28 by a screw-threaded plug 32.

The upper or forward end of a copper wire 33 is sunk in the base of the hollow contact pin 30. Wire 33 traverses an empty space 34 in the tube 4; and the lower or rear end of wire 33 is secured to the forward end of a contact rod 35 FIGS. 2. and 4) which is fixed in a central bore in an insulating cylinder 37 which in turn is slidably mounted in tube 4 and is secured by a radially extending screw 36 that extends through a slot 4a in tube 4 to an external sleeve in the form of a handgrip 38. Insulating cylinder 37 is urged yieldably against a fixed aluminum abutment ring 39 by a coil-compression spring 40 which bears at its rear end on a fixed aluminum sleeve 41 secured by radially extending screws 42 to the tube 4 of the launcher. The bore of sleeve 41 is lined by an insulating tube 43 which surrounds a brass contact rod 44 whose forward end carries a contact 45.

At the rear or lower end of tube 4 of the launcher is disposed an electric storage battery 46 which is maintained in contact with the rear end of contact rod 44 by a coil-compression spring 47 that bears at its lower end on a plug 48 screwed in the lower end of the tube 4 and also in the foot 5 itself which is in turn screw-threadedly disposed on the lower end of tube 4. Spring 47 bears against the rear or lower end of battery 46 through a brass contact 49.

A longitudinally extending steel pin 50 (FIG. 4) is set in the forward end of insulating cylinder 37. The head of pin 50 is split and is slidably disposed in a steel guide sleeve 51 which in turn is fixed in the abutment ring 39. A radially extending push button 53 slides radially in a guideway 54 screw-threadedly inserted in tube 4 and bears at its inner end against the split head of pin 50. An internal shoulder is provided on guide sleeve 51 and the prong of the split head of the pin 50 against which the push button 53 bears is provided with a shoulder that engages with said shoulder of sleeve 51, to prevent downward movement of insulating cylinder 37 and handgrip 38 from the FIG. 4 position when the button 53 is not pushed. But when button 53 is pushed, as will be seen from FIG. 4, this shouldered prong of the split head of pin 50 is pushed radially inward so that the interengaging shoulders clear each'other, after which cylinder 37 can be lowered when the handgrip 38 is pressed downward. A radially extending screw 55 establishes electric contact between the wire 33 and the pin 50 to make sure that the wire 33 is always grounded in the raised position of handgrip 38 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

To launch the projectile, the handgrip 38 is lowered, until the contact rod 35 contacts the contact against the action of spring 40, thereby to complete a circuit from the battery through 44, 45, 35, 33, 30, 31, 26, 25, 24, 21, 18', through the primer charge to ignite the same, then through 18, 19, 11, 10, 22, and 4, to ground.

It is important to note that the handgrip 38 cannot be lowered against the action of spring 40 until the operator presses the button 53 to disengage the shoulder of the pin from the shoulder of the sleeve 51. Thus a safety lock is provided against inadvertent lowering of the handgrip 38.

The primer of course ignites the charge 12, and the piston 13 is accordingly driven forward, which propels the grenade through the intermediary of the rod 14. But as the piston 13 strikes the sleeve 15 and the grenade with its rod 14 continue on, tube 2 will be drawn off the rod 10, and thereafter the tube 11 will be ejected from within the tube 2 and will fall to the ground in front of the launcher.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as those skilled in this art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. A ballistic device comprising a projectile and a launcher for said projectile, the projectile comprising a rearwardly extending tube containing a combustion chamber which in turn contains a combustible launching charge sealed in the chamber by means of a piston at the forward side of the charge, the launcher comprising a guide rod that extends forwardly into the tube and bears against the rear of the combustion chamber, the piston bearing at its forward side on a rod that propels the projectile, and ignition means for the launching charge, the ignition means being electrical in nature and being disposed at least in part in the combustion chamber and extending lengthwise of the guide rod to a point outside and to the rear of the tube.

2. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 1, said ignition means including a conductive rod disposed in an insulating sleeve in an axial bore of said guide rod.

3. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 2, said combustion chamber containing a primer capsule having a conductive tail that contacts the forward end of said conductive rod axially disposed in said guide rod.

4. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 2, and a flexible wire electrically connected at one end to the rear end of said conductive rod, and a firing mechanism to which the other end of said flexible wire is connected.

5. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 4, said firing mechanism comprising means manually movable into electrical contact with an electrical storage battery.

6. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 5, and manually releasable lock means for releasably securing said manually movable means against inadvertent movement.

7. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 5, and means grounding said ignition means when said manually movable means is out of said electrical contact.

8. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 6, said manually movable means comprising a manually operable sleeve slidable axially on said launcher, said releasable lock means comprising a push button and means responsive to pressure on the push button to release the sleeve for axial sliding movement on the launcher.

9. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 1, said combustion chamber comprising a tube whose forward end is closed by said rod that propels the projectile, said combustion chamber being slidably force fitted in said rearwardly extending tube for ejection of the combustion chamber from the projectile upon launching of the projectile. 

1. A ballistic device comprising a projectile and a launcher for said projectile, the projectile comprising a rearwardly extending tube containing a combustion chamber which in turn contains a combustible launching charge sealed in the chamber by means of a piston at the forward side of the charge, the launcher comprising a guide rod that extends forwardly into the tube and bears against the rear of the combustion chamber, the piston bearing at its forward side on a rod that propels the projectile, and ignition means for the launching charge, the ignition means being electrical in nature and being disposed at least in part in the combustion chamber and extending lengthwise of the guide rod to a point outside and to the rear of the tube.
 2. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 1, said ignition means including a conductive rod disposed in an insulating sleeve in an axial bore of said guide rod.
 3. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 2, said combustion chamber containing a primer capsule having a conductive tail that contacts the forward end of said conductive rod axially disposed in said guide rod.
 4. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 2, and a flexible wire electrically connected at one end to the rear end of said conductive rod, and a firing mechanism to which the other end of said flexible wire is connected.
 5. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 4, said firing mechanism comprising means manually movable into electrical contact with an electrical storage battery.
 6. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 5, and manually releasable lock means for releasably securing said manually movable means against inadvertent movement.
 7. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 5, and means grounding said ignition means when said manually movable means is out of said electrical contact.
 8. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 6, said manually movable means comprising a manually operable sleeve slidable axially on said launcher, said releasable lock means comprising a push button and means responsive to pressure on the push button to release the sleeve for axial sliding movement on the launcher.
 9. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 1, said combustion chamber comprising a tube whose forward end is closed by said rod that propels the projectile, said combustion chamber being slidably force fitted in said rearwardly extending tube for ejection of the combustion chamber from the projectile upon launching of the projectile. 